School pupils pitch walking, wheeling and cycling plans to industry experts at ‘Dragon’s Den’ events
The Modeshift STARS Active Travel Ambassadors (ATA) ‘Campaign Junction’ events are making a return over the coming months! These exciting Dragon’s Den-style competitions give secondary school students the opportunity to pitch their active and sustainable travel ideas to a panel of special guests.
What’s at stake?
Schools will compete for £200 in funding to bring their plans to life. With expert guidance from Modeshift, students develop a school travel plan and bid for funding to support initiatives such as Bikeability training, Dr Bike sessions, walking and wheeling campaigns, and other active travel projects.
Expert panels announced
This year’s panels will include representatives from:
- Active Travel England
- Bikeability
- Living Streets
- Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
- Let’s Go Zero
- Northern Rail
- Local Authorities
Councillors are also due to attend and speak with Ambassadors at events in Birmingham, Leeds and Darlington, highlighting the growing local authority support for youth-led active travel initiatives.
Regional highlights
- East Riding events will be hosted by Dave from Histrionics, bringing energy and creativity to the day.
- Suffolk students will experience a Bikeability Virtual Reality training taster.
- Southampton will combine its Campaign Junction event with the launch of its Walking and Cycling Index, creating an even bigger platform for youth voice and action.
With over 80 schools taking part this year, we’re set for an inspiring and competitive series of events, empowering young people to make a real difference in their school communities.
The impact of the ATA programme
We’ve released our Modeshift STARS and Active Travel Ambassadors (ATA) Annual Reports for 2024/25, revealing significant growth in active travel across England.
The Active Travel Ambassador (ATA) programme aims to increase levels of active and sustainable travel in secondary schools nationwide through peer-led behaviour change campaigns.
- Trained 1,246 students as Ambassadors
- Reached a total student population of 110,906
- Delivered 80 student-led campaigns
- 19 promoting walking
- 16 promoting cycling
- 45 promoting a combination of both
The result?
- A 0.87 percentage point shift to green modes
- A 2.82 percentage point decrease in single-family car journeys
The ATA programme gives young people aged 11+ the confidence and skills to tackle the transport issues affecting their school. With support from a Modeshift ATA Coordinator and school staff, ATA teams research and develop behaviour change campaigns focused on active travel and road safety – becoming role models and leaving a lasting legacy in their school communities.
